Farmers' worries because of lack of rain

The land in Majorca is currently very dry.

The lack of rain over the past few weeks has raised concerns about cereal crops. At greatest risk are wheat, barley and oats. Joan Simonet, the manager of the Asaja agricultural businesses association, says that farmers have been on "yellow alert" for some weeks. Now, however, "we are at amber and farmers are worried about the risks for the harvest". He recalls how things were two years ago, when there were large losses for the totally opposite reason - too much rain and flooding.

The general secretary of the Farmers Union, Sebastià Ordinas, explains that sowing started in November and that some short-cycle varieties were being sown up to last month. With others, there can be no more delay despite the lack of rain.

The most affected parts of Majorca are in the Pla region and in Campos, where forage is grown. Asaja's view is that forage has not been growing sufficiently and that scarcity will have a negative economic impact and drive up prices. Simonet adds that the forecasts for legumes are not good. The likes of chickpeas are typically harvested from the end of May.

Vineyards, which benefit from dry and warm conditions, do also need water, and Ordinas says that some producers have started to water them.